A Caged Bird's Cries
by brandirandom21
Summary: It was a senseless sacrifice, she had realized, as soon as she opened her eyes and woke up to the Queen's voice.  Post-Revenge of the Swarm
1. Chapter 1

**_~A Caged Bird's Cries~_**

_Training Day_

When she opened my eyes, it was like waking up after a long night's rest. Everything in my body ached, and my eyesight blurred the dark surrondings around me. I felt the comfort of a soft blanket on my skin, smelled the cleanness of an air freshner...then I realized this wasn't mine. None of this was mine. It was all hers.

"Hello Elena. It's about time that you woke from your slumber."

_Why am I still here? _I screamed. _I'm supposed to be dead!_

"I decided to punish you eternally," she sighed, bored. She ruffled my hair- _her _hair- and slipped from the sheets to stretch. "After betraying me for that boy, I decided...why not show you how to do the job correctly. You see, when you 'sacrified' yourself for that human boy, trying to kill _me _off, after everything I gave to you...it seemed obvious that punishment would be the only way to treat your...disloyalty."

Panic coursed through me. _Why didn't you just let me die?_

"Because, unlike you father, you don't deserve that. Your father didn't fight against me. He was saved by your human boy toy, he didn't mean to go against me. Death was the correct treatment. He died painlessly. You, however deserve the painfulness of living within this body, this flesh made cage. I was going to let you keep him if you did as I told. But you didn't." She chuckled, like she just telled a lighthearted joke. "You will live on with the mistake you made Elena Validus. You will live and see your boy toy die with your own hands."

_He doesn't need to get involved! I got him involved-it's all my fault._

"Exactly."

I watched in horror as she looked over her shoulder. I saw a silhoutte of a lean body laying on the bed, wrapped in the cover. Her sight focused, making me see. I choked back a sob, seeing the russet hair. _Ben? _

"Not the real thing, but close enough." She shook her head. "It's too bad. Such a good copy, yet I used him as practice..."

_P-Practice?_

She sighed heavily and reached for the body. I felt cloth, her fingers searching for something. Then I felt it. Warm, sticky...it choked me, gagging me. I smelled iron, rust and age.

Blood.

"I figured this would be good practice in the future." She touched the cold fake skin of its body, sighing. Chips flew around quickly, clumping together to form another copy. Another body. "Now that you're awake, I'd like to show you." I was held prisoner, watching in absolute horror as she grabbed the switchblade from the counter and flourished it. The moonlight caught a silver line of the blade and I saw the scarlet stained on the metal. _No! Please! Don't do this!_

"I can. And I will." Then she turned his body over, his eyes meeting mine. I froze, stuck in this body, feeling the heart pumping vigourously, the excitement she contained. I saw the raw panic and fear in his jade eyes. I made no sound. I only felt adrenline she shared with me, ready for the kill. I couldn't feel horrified, disgusted at myself at what I felt.

I felt power, control. Like nothing else mattered except for the knife in her hand and the beat of my heart. The kill.

I didn't remember her as she cut through the skin and clothing. I concentrated on the cries of pain, the horror of an endless torment. He was created to be tormented. He was still alive, still so human. But not Ben.

As soon as his last breath left his lips, he sunk into the sheets. The adrenline faded and I felt the blood on her dress, her skin...I let out a small sigh, the sound crossing with a distressed whimper. I witnessed my first murder right before my own eyes. And it was by her own hands. My hands.

"Remember that this is merely the first time you'll see this Elena. More training...then you'll be the one who causes the bloodshed."

I listened as she grabbed a remote control from the floor and turned on the TV. My old remote control from my old floor, my own TV. This was my old home...everything I had was now hers.

And she would now have Ben.

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><p>AN: R&R? :D


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own anything from MoA. This laptop belongs to me, but it's owned by HP so...

A/N: Wow. I've gotten some views :) I'm amazed that people actually read this haha :D So, thanks to you guys, I shall be updating, as you guys wished! Enjoy!

Chapter Two

"I had that dream again."

Gwen immediatly stopped talking, her mouth wide open. She had been happily talking about Kevin's "go-steady" proposal the night before. The glimmer in her eyes disappeared and her eyes narrowed. "Ben. I gave you that potion for a reason."

"I didn't think that it would matter." Ben spun the red straw around in the blue goop of a smoothie, watching the blueberry chunks disappear and reappear. "I still think about it everyday. That potion may stop dreams and nightmares, but it doesn't stop memories." He sighed heavily. "But there was more to it in this one. It seems like it's getting worse."

Her eyes widened. She pursed her lips and grabbed his clammy hand, lightly squeezing it. "How so?"

"The girl...she was trying to say something." A shudder racked through him violently. The dream had first appeared a few months ago. It started off with him, wrapped up in the arms of another girl, surronded by the smell of musk and the rusty smell of fresh blood. The room had been dark, so he couldn't see her face. The dream last night, he could see the soft outlining of her face, and he heard her whimper, trying to speak.

_Pl-please... _She whimpered. _F-Forgive me... _Then a sharp pain in his chest and a sudden warmth flowing through him, then he had woke up.

"Do you think a therapist-"

"I don't need to see a _shrink _to solve my problems," he cut her off. "The last thing I need is people knowing I need therapy. Will Haraunge would never let that go."

"Ben, you obviously need help in this situation," she scoffed, pulling her hand away. "Do I really need to bring _Kevin _into this?"

He glared at her. "You'd better not."

"It's either him or a 'shrink,'" she retorted, glaring back at him. "Look. I'm trying to help you. You need to understand that you aren't alone in this. You might save the world constantly...and the universe," she added hesitantly, unsure if she should have mentioned it. "But I've been by your side. Ever since you got the Omnitrix, I've been fighting beside you. You're family to me Ben, and I want to make sure that you feel comfortable, happy and safe."

Her features softened and he bit his lip. How could he be so stubborn? "I'm so sorry Gwen," he murmured. People were watching as the cousins argued and then bonded. Someone was even recording it all from afar. "I'm sorry I didn't drink that potion. And I'm sorry that I wasn't even considering the fact that you were just trying to help me. You care about my well being and...I've just been conceited and wrapped in my own life."

She smiled and squeezed his hand again. Ben's eyes drifted to Gwen's ring finger. The go-steady ring had originally belonged to Kevin's mother. Kevin had thought that it would be nice to follow his father's lead. Gwen noticed what Ben was looking at. "It's not glitzy, I know. But it's simple, and I love it."

"You mean there's no inscription inside the band?" he teased, liking that the past conversation was over. He could focus on something else. "No writings hidden in the band?"

She froze. "I...I didn't even think of that." She pulled her hand away and took off the ring. She read the inside of the band, and she gasped. "Oh my God."

He laughed in disbelief. "You're kidding me. I was only joking around!" On the inside of the ring was "Devin and Olivia." Next to that, in even tiner cursive was "Gwen and Kevin." Ben joked about that for a few minutes while Gwen silently blushed and stared at the inscription. Ben called Kevin to tease him even more and was amused by the joking threats that Kevin threw at him.

After Gwen stammered that she wanted to see her parents and left for her car, Ben sat there, drinking his smoothie. Amoungst all the happiness that had occured, there was still a problem.

He was alone.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxxX

The phone rang and Julie looked at it, hoping it was just her imagination. Then it rang again and she sighed heavily. "Hello?" she answered as polietely as she could. AP homework was a disaster and any distractions only made it worse.

"Julie, hey."

The pen dropped from her hand at the familiar voice. The voice that used to bring her so much happiness, that was filled with amusement, goofiness and tenderness. She hated this voice now. "Um...hi." _Such a great comeback. Haven't you been imagining this phone call for over a month now? Him calling you and you telling him to piss off? And all you say is "Um, hi?" Great job Yamamoto._

"I wanted to call you," Ben contunied. His voice was soft and she heard the rumble of his car engine. "See how you're doing."

_Lovely. Just lovely. Until _you _called me. _"I'm working on AP homework. Do you need help or something?"

"No. Nothing like that," he chuckled nervously.

She seethed. Of course not. Guy skips classes for some "mission" for almost every weekday, and still manages to pass all of his classes with flying colors. He didn't need her help for anything. "OK. So what did you call me for?"

A pause. "I...just wanted to call you. See how you're doing."

"Well I'm fantastic. Just fantastic. Girl went up to me in the hallway today and whispered 'bitch' under her breath. Why? Because I broke up with you. Jesus Ben, do you really think talking to me like we're buddies is going to make my life any better? The guys at the national tennis competition can't take me seriously anymore. And it's no thanks to you."

She slammed the phone back into the cradle and picked her pen back up. AP Psych wasn't going to finish itself.

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><p>AN: Sorry it's been awhile, but here you go :D More drama coming soon...Review please? (hopeful)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 'cause MoA does. Damned copyrights.

A/N: Ah, Facebook is WONDERFUL. Greg Cipes had posted an interview that he did, and there was info about Kevin rescuing and keeping a dog :D I posted the link of it on Skylark Evanson's Facebook (you'll see my profile. Add me as a friend!) so like her page and check it out!

Well, other than that, thanks for your support guys :3 I really appreciate all the lovely reviews! And to answer your question D, Ben is in the middle of his senior year, so I'd say about half the year :D

Chapter 3

"It's my fault. I've known that from the start." Ben closed his cell phone and tossed it on the passanger seat. "Flirting with Eunice, a copy of your own cousin's DNA. Or with Emily. Or Juniper. Or Crystal. Or any of those other girls in my classes. Fame went to my head." _Which head are we talking about? Oh yeah, har har. _He slumped in his seat. "Damned male hormones..."

_Hormones have nothing to do with it. It's my own damned fault. If I've just been the boyfriend I was supposed to be, I would still be with her. _He turned into the right lane, ready to turn into the exit. He was ready to got to the teen club. He didn't care if paparazzi would take pictures. This was going to be an all nighter if he didn't want to have that dream again.

The line into the the club was long and as soon as his car pulled up, cameras flashed. "Figured that much," he muttered. "Dammit." The valet was starstruck as Ben got out the car and handed him his keys. The valet looked as if Ben gave him a million bucks. "Thanks," Ben smiled.

"No problem," the valet breathed. He got into the car and drove to the parking lot. Sighing, Ben adjusted his jacket. "Well. Here goes." He stepped onto the carpeted sidwalk and was engulfed in a sea of teenagers. Lights flashed left and right, people shouted his name. He waved some respectable hellos, smiling for phones video-taping the whole ordeal. As soon as he walked into the club, heads turned. Music still blasted from the speakers, loud and deafening, but the DJ looked up from the laptop, eyes wide. Then he relaxed and waved.

"Yo man, wazup?"

Ben fought against a crowd of giggly girls to shake his hand. "Been better. You'd think people would calm down a bit."

"Well, it's only been a year since your secret got exposed. Man, you're just a ladies' man. Look at that. They checkin' you out." Ben looked over his shoulder to see a group of girls staring at him. They blushed and ducked under their volumized hair and whispered to each other.

"I don't really care about girls right now Oz. Remember?"

"Oh...yeah." Oz laughed nervously. "Sorry about that. Totally forgot about the break up."

"It's fine," Ben shrugged. "Keep up the good work Oz. I'm going to get a drink." He worked his way to the back of the club, were the snack and drink bar was. The tiles on the floor and the bar counter glowed different colors. There was a lone girl talking to the bartender.

"...so I've been moving around a lot," Ben heard the girl say.

The bartender gave her a glowing smile. They were obviously flirting. Either that, or he wanted a good tip. "So, a navy brat huh? I used to be too."

"Really Dave?" Ben smirked. "I thought you were just a brat in general."

The girl turned in her seat and Dave grinned sheepishly. "Oh, hey. How's senior year?"

"It's good." Ben sat down next to the girl, ready to relax. "How's college looking?"

"It's college dude," Dave rolled his eyes. "It sucks, it's expensive and the girls aren't that hot. But hell, I'm gettin' by. What do you want?"

"A Blue One."

"Comin' up." Dave mixed some creme soda and blue food coloring together, topping it off with whipped creme and a cherry.

"Thanks." He took a sip and looked at the girl. She seemed out of place compared to the other girls. Her glasses were the cheap plastic kind, and her hair just limply fell down her back. The dress was the only thing that really fit her. She was a pretty girl, but she didn't do anything to help herself out. No make-up, no hair curling or straightening, no contacts...

She looked over, noticing his staring. Instead of blushing or freaking out like any other girl would, she just looked back at her drink, skimming her finger along the glass rim.

"Hi," Ben greeted quietly. "I'm Ben."

"I've noticed." The sneer in her voice surprised him a bit. She looked back at him, sighing and shaking her head. "Sorry. That was rude. I know who you are, I'm just..." She shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not a really big fan."

He smiled. "I like honesty. And don't worry, I'm used to people not liking me. This city has the highest insurance rate, and adults are pointing fingers at me because of it."

"Will Haraunge isn't that big of a fan either, I've noticed," she smirked.

"Yeah, you could say that."She laughed and he smiled in relief. Maybe she wasn't a big fan of his, but at least she was friendly. "So you just moved here?"

"Yeah, Dad's in the military so I have to move. He works on planes, ships supplies to different countries, stuff like that."

"Ah. Is he stationed in Alleyway?"

She nodded. "When I heard that we were moving here, I thought they were just joking around. Apparently not. It's a nice town." She grinned. "When there aren't aliens taking over."

"True. Very true."

The conversation resumed and he felt more relaxed than he ever felt that whole day. She would be going to his school, taking business classes since she wanted to be an accountant after college. She had three other sisters that were all in middle school (twins in seventh grade, one in sixth). Her mother was a stay at home mom, but managed a dress business over the internet.

"Oh, jeez, it's getting late," she said, looking at her cell phone. "My parents might be getting worried." She held out her hand. Ben was a bit surprised by her strong grip. "So, I'll see you tommorow then?"

"Yup. Hey, I didn't catch your name."

"Christana. Just call me Chris." She grinned. "Sorry about earlier. About me not liking you and everything. You're a pretty cool person."

"Thanks. Chris," he laughed. She nodded and walked into the crowd. Ben looked after her.

Dave snorted. "Already winning over the girls? Damn, none of us are ever going to get the chance..."

xXxxxxXxxxXxxx

Chris looked around, smiling to herself. It was so nice to live in the middle of the city, see all the lights, hear the sounds of car engines and the late night conversations on the sidewalks. She walked into the apartment lobby and the lights were dimming down. The office would be closing in a few hours, once midnight came around. She walked into the elevator and hit the button for the fourth floor.

Ben was actually pretty nice. Maybe it was a mask, maybe he was just genuine. She didn't know, but it was kind of cool to be the envy of girls in the club. She smirked, remembering the death glares she received from the other girls.

She walked to the room door, taking out her card. She was sure her parents were still awake, waiting for her. Her dad would be cool about her being late, but mom would never let it go. But really, what did she know?

She opened the door, and walked into darkness. Huh. Guess they went to bed then. All well. She was just going to-

A sharp pain flashed through her chest. She gasped aloud. She touched her chest, trying to see what caused it. A sharp edge protruded through her dress, stained in red. She couldn't scream. Blood build in her throat, choking her. She collapsed, the pain sliding out of her with ease.

"Thank you for your body sweetie," a woman said softly. She couldn't bring herself to scream. She would wake her parents. But God, were they even alive? _Oh God. Nicole, Evan and Evie. Are they dead too? _"You're a pretty young thing. Bright future ahead of you. But thank you for your sacrifice. That was much needed."

Her heart throbbed painfully. She tried to scream. Her eyes drifted. It was just best to let it end...

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><p>AN: MUHAHAHA! Review? :D


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